Tokyo | Reuters –– Japan’s weather bureau said in its monthly outlook on Friday that the possibility of an El Nino weather pattern forming by summer remains high, but gave no probability forecast. The previous El Nino, which emerged last summer, ended over winter and conditions appear to be normal now, the bureau said. Last […] Read more
Japan forecaster sees El Nino likely to emerge by summer
U.S. cuts poultry export forecast as avian flu spreads
Chicago | Reuters –– The U.S. government on Thursday reduced its forecasts for poultry exports by nearly six per cent from last month due partly to an accelerating outbreak of bird flu that has triggered wider-than-expected trade restrictions. The steep cuts came as the U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed a second commercial flock of turkeys […] Read more
Lowe’s to phase out sales of neonics by 2019
Chicago | Reuters — Home improvement chain Lowe’s will stop selling a type of pesticide suspected of causing a decline in honeybee populations needed to pollinate key American crops, following a few U.S. retailers who took similar steps last year. The pesticides known as neonicotinoids (neonics) are sold by agrichemical companies to boost yields of […] Read more
U.S. forecaster now sees 70 per cent chance of El Nino summer
New York | Reuters –– A U.S. government weather forecaster on Thursday raised its forecast for the chance of El Nino conditions during the Northern Hemisphere summer to 70 per cent, up from a 60 per cent chance last month, with a 60 per cent chance it lasts through autumn. The Climate Prediction Center, an […] Read more
India’s PM boosts compensation for farmers to ease rural discontent
New Delhi | Reuters –– Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday announced higher compensation and government aid for farmers who are suffering due to unseasonable rains, in an attempt to calm growing discontent among people living in the countryside. Storms have badly damaged crops in large parts of northern India and led to anger […] Read more
JBS has cash for takeover, but focused on growth, CEO says
Sao Paulo | Reuters — Brazilian meat packer JBS will have sufficient cash flow in 2015 to bankroll potential acquisitions, but for the time being plans to focus on consolidating gains from recent takeovers, CEO Wesley Batista said on Tuesday. The company in late March completed the US$1.125 billion buyout of Australian meats company Grupo […] Read more
Russia may consider lifting food ban from Greece, Hungary, Cyprus
Moscow | Reuters — The Russian government could consider removing Greece, Hungary and Cyprus from its ban on most Western food imports, Russian Agriculture Minister Nikolai Fyodorov was quoted as saying Tuesday. Russia’s ban, which should run until early August, was imposed in retaliation to Western sanctions on Russia over Moscow’s role in the Ukraine […] Read more
Russia may extend tax on wheat exports, deputy PM says
Moscow | Reuters — Russia may extend a tax on wheat exports beyond July 1, but is yet to make a final decision, Russian news agencies cited Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich, who is in charge of the sector, as saying on Friday. Russia has imposed the duty on wheat exports since Feb. 1 in […] Read more
California orders 25 per cent reduction in water usage
Reuters — California Governor Jerry Brown, acting in the face of a devastating multiyear drought, ordered the first statewide mandatory water restrictions on Wednesday, directing cities and communities to reduce usage by 25 per cent. The cutbacks, to be implemented by state and local water agencies, will affect consumers and businesses throughout the most populous […] Read more
ADM buys Belgian veg oils company AOR
Reuters — Archer Daniels Midland is buying AOR NV, a privately held edible oils bottler and distributor based in Antwerp, Belgium, the U.S. grain company said Monday. Chicago-based ADM did not disclose the cost of the purchase, its latest acquisition aimed at expanding into higher-margin products including food-grade oils and food ingredients. ADM bought Swiss-German […] Read more
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